Many Republican officials—like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz, and Reps. Steve Scalise and Louie Gohmert—have recently decided to shine a partisan spotlight on the Southern border ignoring or even defending Trump’s cruel and ineffective border policies for years.
The evidence of this brazen hypocrisy is damning. Here’s what these hypocrites are saying now versus what they did when Trump was in office:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
NOW: Governor Abbott sent a letter to President Biden “demanding answers” about what he called a “humanitarian crisis” at the southern border.
THEN: Abbott blamed the Trump family separation policy on Congress and Democrats’ unwillingness to work with Trump and urged members to ‘seize’ the opportunity to work across the aisle and finally fix the problem.” Abbott was also the first governor to sign onto a Trump policy allowing states to refuse to settle refugees.
Abbott has been fear mongering about asylum seekers and specifically rejected the Biden administration’s offer to help with COVID-19 testing and quarantining migrants, saying the job belongs entirely to the federal government.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune
NOW: Senator Thune said the situation at the border was a “growing humanitarian crisis” and called aspects of it “heartbreaking.”
THEN: In 2018, Thune did not denounce Trump’s policy of separating families and blamed Democrats for the policy, saying that the “immigration system [has] been broken for way too long,” and that “the best solution, the best path forward is to work with us in a bipartisan way to create a new law.”
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton
NOW: Cotton called the border situation a “catastrophe.”
THEN: Senator Tom Cotton sharply criticized a Democratic bill that would have ended Trump’s policy of family separations.
North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer
NOW: Cramer said “Above all else [the border situation] is a humanitarian crisis” and blamed President Biden.
THEN: In 2019, then-Rep. Kevin Cramer defended keeping kids in chain-link cages and compared it to kids in a playground and called such detention “humane.” He later voted to block consideration of a bill in the House prohibiting DHS from separating immigrant children from their families. The motion was agreed to 233-191 and consideration was blocked.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
NOW: Senator Cruz called the situation at the border a “humanitarian crisis” and criticized the Biden administration for the treatment of children at the border.
THEN: Senator Ted Cruz defended the Trump administration’s policy of separating parents from their children, saying “There’s actually a court order that prevents keeping the kids with the parents when you put the parents in jail. So when you see reporters, when you see Democrats saying don’t separate kids from their parents, what they’re really saying is don’t arrest illegal aliens.”
Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy
NOW: Senator Kennedy said “it breaks your heart” when referencing Biden administration policies and saying they were harming children.
THEN: Senator John Kennedy said he supported Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy which separated thousands of children from their parents, adding “I believe if you try to cross our border illegally, you should be prosecuted.”
California Rep. Kevin McCarthy
NOW: Rep. McCarthy called the situation at the border “human heartbreak,” and blamed the Biden administration for creating a “crisis.”
THEN: In 2018, McCarthy voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise
NOW: Rep. Scalise called the situation at the border an “international disgrace” and a “humanitarian crisis.”
THEN: In 2018, Scalise voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney
NOW: Cheney called the border situation a “national security and humanitarian crisis.”
THEN: In 2018, Rep. Cheney was silent when asked about the conditions of children who were separated from their parents in the wake of audio of them crying being released by ProPublica. She also voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Texas Rep. Michael McCaul
NOW: Rep. McCaul called the scenes at the border “heart-wrenching” and blamed the Biden administration for creating a humanitarian crisis in a joint statement. He also said that the border situation a “humanitarian crisis” created by the Biden administration
THEN: In 2018, McCaul voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Texas Rep. Michael Burgess
NOW: Rep. Burgess said that the situation children at the border were falling was “sad and disturbing from a human rights standpoint.”
THEN: Rep. Burgess defended the Trump administration’s family separation policy, saying “on the border, the Trump administration is enforcing existing law – a constitutional responsibility of the executive branch.” In 2018, Burgess voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Ohio Rep. Bob Gibbs
NOW: Rep. Gibbs signed onto a letter that blamed President Biden for a border “on the brink of a huge humanitarian crisis” that would endanger the lives of migrants.
THEN: In 2018, Rep. Gibbs criticized media coverage of family separations rather than the policy itself, and defended the policy, saying “we must deter illegal border crossings.” He also voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert
NOW: Rep. Gohmert blamed the Biden administration for what he called a “human tragedy” on the southern border.
THEN: In 2018, Gohmert said he strongly supported the Trump administration’s enforcement of the family separation policy. He also voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Arkansas Rep. French Hill
NOW: Rep. Hill said that President Biden had created a “humanitarian crisis” at the border.
THEN: Hill defended the legal merits of ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy. In 2018, Hill also voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
New York Rep. John Katko
NOW: Rep. Katko said Trump kept the border “safe” and said that it was now a “nightmare” and a “humanitarian crisis.”
THEN: In 2018, Katko voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Ohio Rep. Bob Latta
NOW: Rep. Latta called the border situation a “humanitarian crisis” and expressed concern for the treatment of children at the border.
THEN: Rep. Latta said he “[supported] enforcing our country’s immigration laws, and look forward to working with my colleagues on possible solutions.” In 2018, Latta voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
California Rep. Tom McClintock
NOW: Rep. McClintock criticized the Biden administration for what he called a “growing humanitarian […] crisis” on the southern border.
THEN: Rep. McClintock stood firmly with President Trump in support of separating families at the border. In 2018, McClintock voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner
NOW: Rep. Wagner called the scenes at the border “heart-wrenching” and blamed the Biden administration for creating a humanitarian crisis.
THEN: In 2018, Wagner voted to block consideration of a bill prohibiting the Department Of Homeland Security from separating immigrant children from their families.
